Computer users routinely need to use a plurality of different applications in order to complete tasks allocated to them, and each application typically has a separate user interface. Switching between the different user interfaces of the different applications in order to complete a given task considerably degrades user efficiency. It will often be the case that different applications are supplied by different vendors and accordingly their user interfaces have a different “look and feel”, further degrading operator efficiency.
For example, in order to process customer enquiries, operators in a call centre may need to access a customer management application to access customer details, a billing application to access customer account information, and a payment application to process any payment which may be made by the customer over the telephone, for example by credit card. Working in this manner is inefficient, given that the operator is required to switch between applications in order to complete some tasks. Furthermore, a customer will typically remain on the telephone while the operator uses these different applications, and it is therefore advantageous to speed up the processing of enquires, in order to offer a higher quality customer service.
Various proposals have been made to enhance user efficiency when multiple applications need to be used.
The multiple applications can be combined into a single product or product suite. While such a proposal provides great increases in user efficiency, it is difficult and expensive to implement. Furthermore, such a combined product or product suite will typically have a different user interface from those used previously, therefore meaning that users need to be trained in use of the combined product, further increasing cost.
It has alternatively been proposed that the multiple application can be combined in some way. For example, all requests can be passed to a single one of the applications, and this application can be adapted to forward requests to an appropriate source application. Such a solution typically requires considerable customization if it is to work in under all circumstances that may routinely arise, making such a solution difficult to implement.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least some of the problems outlined above.